Safety locking device released by recoil.



am. 662,427. Patehted Nov. 27, I900.

. L. L. HEPBURNQ SAFETY LOCKING DEVICE RELEASED BY RECOIL.

(Application filed June 14, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet l.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR LewwLJ7epfia/7a.

Patented Nov. 27

L. L. HEPBURN. SAFETY LOCKING DEVICE RELEASED BY RECOIL.

(Application fild Juno 14, 1990.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2" (No Model.)

Wu m m UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE. l

LEWIS L. HEPBURN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO'THE MARLIN FIREARMS COMPA .N,;0 E SAME PLACE.

SAFETY Loo KING os v|cE. 'RE i.'E.A;s-Eo By REooiL.

srncmcaprron forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,427, dated November 27, 1900. Application filed une 14,1900. Serial No. 20.272. (lilo titan 1 f To all whom it mayconcermr Be it known that I, LEQ'IS L. HEPBURN, a

, citizen of the United States; residing at New scriptio'n.

The chief object of theinvention is to provide. a suppl'ementalsafety locking device which will preventaccidents resulting from the premature unlocking or opening of the breech in case the cartridge hangs fire.

j My invention is illustrated in the accompa- .ward end ,bears firmly against a wall at the rear end bears solidly against .an abutment nying drawings, in; wh-ich-.-

Figure '1 is a side elevation, partly in section, 'of the breechportio'n of the repeating firearm-provided with my improved safety device, the breech being closed. Fig. 2zis a-similar view'of. the same parts that are shown in Fig. 1, the breech being open. Figs. 3, 4, 5,

6, 7, and 8 are views of detached details of construction.-

.In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, 1 is aframe, and 2 is a breech-block adapted to move therein.

3 is a locking-bolt carried by the breechblock and adapted to ti'ItTherein, so that when in the position shown in Fig. lits forforward inner end of the breech-block and its in the franie. In this positionthe' parts are In Fig.2 the lock- 7 ing-bolt is shownasftilted to a hbrizontalpo- 34o siti'on",in which its rear end is' freed-from the frame, so'that the breech-block may be retracted and the breech opened, T. '4 is-a tilting cartridge-carrier which is piv- -.oted at one end and works up and down in a manner suitable to convey the cartridges snc- :"cessiv'ely from themagazine 5 up into the positiondirectlyto the rear of the barrel 6, so that by the forward or advance movement 1 of thebreech-block 2 the loaded cartridge I maybe'ihserted into said ready for firing. I

barrel in a position 7 is,a movable operating-rod manually con- I trolled and by, which the breech-operating -mechauism is actuated. This rod 7 carries a stud 8 near its rear end, which engages with a shoulder 9, depending from the locking-bolt 3. This stud 8 engages ,the, shoulder 9 in a shoulder 9, which'stud projects into a camgroove in the side of the carrier 4, so that by the movementof the shoulder 9 the carrier 4 israised or lowered. I 11 is ahammer which may be controlled by the usual trigger 12. 1

13 is a firing-pin carried by theibreechblock and against which the hammer is adapted to strike and by which a cartridge may be exploded inthe usual manner.

The purpose of the'invention herein 'is to prevent the premature opening of the breech Jmechanism before the cartridge in the barrel shall have exploded. This end is accomplished by the employmentoof a su pplemental locking device 14, which issuitably pivoted .to the frame, so that it-may tilt or swing.

'1 -to engage with a shoulder17,suitably formed upon the locking-bolt 3. This hook 16 may I have its upper side inclined or beveled, so

that when the locking-bolt is tilted from the horizon tal position into the inclined position locking device 14 slightly forward, forcingits way past the hook, at which instant said device 14 will spring back and hook over theshoulder 17, as shown in Fig. 1, wherein it will prevent the tiltin' of thelocking-bolt'3 untiL it is freed there rom by the tripping of the locking device 14. Inasmuch as the bulk of the weight of said locking-device 14 is above the pivotal connection therefor the r'ecoil occasioned by the explosion of a cartridge will cause,-by inertia, the locking device 14 9 the shoulder l7 will momentarily-push said l shoulder 1.7.

to swing forwardfireeing' the hook 1-6 from the latch 18, which in ay engage the front of a nose 19, carriedby a part of the breech mechan A ism- 'for example, the carrier 4,; I-n the par tioular form shown the latch 18 has a bevel nose and is in the form of a spring-pressed piston, althoughaother forms might obviously be substituted. The'for'ward position 'of the locking device 14 islshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When this part 14 is in the position shown in dotted lines,-and the other parts-are in the position indicated in Fig. 1, the'breech mechanism may be freely operated. Theopwill carry down thenose 19 unt'i-l'it becomes freed from the spring-latchlS, at which instant the ;l0cking dev ice 14 may resume its normal retracted position,'a s show'n in Figs. 1, 2, and S. The continued movement of the breech mechanism will again raise the carrier ing-bolt 3 is tilted to lookthe .hreeeh-mech'an ism ready for firing it will itself become again engaged by the safety lockin g device '14 in v the manner before described. vIn 'orderto per mit the operating ofthe breech mechanism in case the cartridge in the barrel .does not explode or for any other reason, a nannallycontrolled device maybe employed whereby the user may trip or shift the position of thesupplemental lockingdevice 14 to: its forward disengaged position. In the drawings I'have shown such a; device in theform of 'spl l'n'ger 20, which slides in the frame adjacent the thumb of thetrigger-hand and which projects inside of the casing and against a portion of the locking device 14, so that by plishin g this.

plunger 20 inwardly the lockingdevice 14 "may be .iilted so as to free the locking-bolt 3, and the breech may then be'opened in the usual manner. ;The locking device 14 may have stops 21 and 22to limit the tilting move-v mentofthe same. a,

I have found from practical use that this improvement is thoroughly reliable and" that it i'sequally efiective whether a light or heavy charge of powder 'is' usedl'in the cartridge. The fact that it is antomatically set prevents the danger of accidents, because it relieves thenjserof that respons hility. By engaging 7 directly with the mainlocking-bolt of the gun the reliability of the safetydevice is much grenter than it would be'ii' it engaged with some other part or with' the locking device through intermediate pieces. Manifestly the construction andoperali-ion of the parts herein described are susceptible'of mdificatiezr,and vf-whille Ihave shown on; particular and preferalileiformof firearn; iii-which the safety device may. be eniployed' it is obvious that it v T e lockingd'evice 14 may be held in this forward position by a suitable r 4 and effect the int-rodnctionof a new car tridge into thebarrel', and ass-soon as the lockaegis? mayalso'be applied to other forms offirearms-of the repeating type."

What'I claim isv V 1.. Ina firearm in combination, a frame,

-ertia-piece carried by the frame interlocking with said locking-bolt andidisengaged therea breech-block, a'lock-ing-bolt therefor, an infrom by the recoilof thegnn, aj'carrier, and j means on the carrier for'retai piece afterrecoil.

uing the inertiae '2. In a firearm in combination a frame, a breecheblock,a locking-bolt therefor, an inertia-piece carried b'ythe frame interlocking with said locking-bolt and disengaged there'- from by the recoilof thegun, a carrierp means on the carrier for retaining the inertia'piece I after recoil, and means for returning saidlim' ertia-piece into engagementwith theiloclgihgi bolt;

3. In a=firearin v i breech-block, a lacking-b t hera ormn n. nat on; 'e'f s'm'e,

ertia-piece pivotall y supported on theirame, q a hook at the, upper end thereof, a shoulder V onthe locking-bolt engaged thereby',.a carrier, and means, on the carrier for temporarily retaining theinertia-piece' after recoil,-

v 4"- I a fi arm i combinati n, a frames" breech-block, alocking-bo'lt therefor, an in-' 'ertia-piece carried by the frame and "inter looking with Said locking-bolt'and-disenge e efr m y here l of t e gun, a

" carrier, and means for temporarily enghgs ing .the inertia-piece, with he carrier after recoil, said means comprising shoulders upon each of said. parts, one of said shoulders be .ing yielding and spring-controlled. v v

5. In a. firearm ineombinationfa frame, a breech-block, a locking-bolt therefor, an inertia-piece carried h the frame and interlocking withsaid locking-bolt anddisengflg'ed therefrom by the recoil of thegnn, a carrier,

" a spring-pressed stud on the inertia-piece and a shoulder on thecarrier over which the stud passes upon thereeoil of the gun and by which the inertiaepiece' is held against returner:-

by the movement of the carrier.-. 1

6. In a firearm, in combination, a frame, a I

gagement-with the locking-bolt until released IISI associated with said breechblock and movable therein, means for'actuating said parts, a-cartridge-carrier coacting with said lockingbolt, a supplemental locking device in-the 'form of an inertia-piece carried by the frame and normally in engagement with-the locking-bolt, said supplemental locking device being displaced by'there'coil of thegun, and means carried by the carrier for temporarily holding said supplemental locking device in its disengaged position and automatically releasing the same at each operation ofthe breech mechanism.-

LEWIS L. HEPBURN.'. Witnesses i, I

' JNo. MA LIN,

- M. MABLIn. 

